In most cultures, destroying your own car to protest a shoddy repair job borders on self-mutilation, sort of like how ridiculous it would seem if a person stabbed himself after getting a lousy haircut. Not in China. This week, a man parked his Maserati Quattroporte by the steps of the Qingdao Auto Show and proceeded to beat the car with sledgehammers in front of a crowd. The purpose, according to China Car Times, was to show the owner's frustration with a local Maserati distributor that repaired his car, unsuccessfully, with used parts instead of the new ones he ordered.
Luxury cars in China face huge import tariffs, and this particular Maserati cost a whopping $423,000 when new in 2011, or roughly 3.5 times more than a typical Quattroporte in the U.S. That makes the story even crazier.
But this is a trend. In 2011, a Lamborghini Gallardo owner smashed his car with sledgehammers in front of a crowd, also over a poor repair job. In 2012, a Porsche Cayenne owner went a little softer by towing his vehicle on a flatbed and organizing a sit-in outside the offending dealership. No destruction that time.
It's not clear if any of the automakers made these wealthy owners whole after witnessing these sensational displays. Whatever happened, we at least have to hand it to the car owners for taking it to the streets instead of posting an anonymous negative review on Yelp. But please, take it easy with those hammers.
Source: China Car Times; Photo from People.com.cn/China Car Times
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